The Center for Excellence in Writing and Communication (Writing Center) hosted “Reporting Fairly in an Era of Fake News”, a Master Class with NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik, in conjunction with The Literary Journalism Program and the Forum for the Academy and the Public, on Thursday April 27th. Students, faculty, staff, and community members had the opportunity to discuss with Folkenflik a wide variety of media-related issues ranging from President Trump’s increasingly controversial international policies to Folkenflik’s early journalism experiences in broadcast media and at the Baltimore Sun. Participants enjoyed a meal provided by UCI’s catering services.
Based in New York, Folkenflik has reported for NPR since 2004 and his stories and analysis appear on All Things Considered, Here & Now, and Morning Edition. Folkenflik is the author of Murdoch’s World: The Last of the Old Media Empires, and is also editor of Page One: Inside the New York Times and the Future of Journalism. His work has appeared in the Washington Post, Politico Magazine, Newsweek International, the National Post of Canada, and the Australian Financial Review. Business Insider called Folkenflik one of the 50 most influential people in American media.
Folkenflik elaborated on the importance of “muscular journalism” and the conscious vigor necessary for journalists to uphold in today’s political atmosphere. Concerns were raised about “fake news” and its troubling influence on US-Russia relations and the future of cabinet office positions. Social media’s increasingly pervasive, and oftentimes controversial, role in journalism and politics was also deliberated. Folkenflik explained his professional outlook on print versus digital media as well.
The Writing Center aims to increase awareness of the importance of strategic communication, and does so by hosting speakers like Folkenflik, as well as workshops and events in collaboration with other university departments, most recently the Great Debate series. To inquire about booking the center, contact writing-center@uci.edu.
